Thailand keen to promote Meghalaya tourism

Shillong, Mar 29 (UNI) Thailand is keen to promote tourism in Meghalaya and negotiations with the state government are on to open doors to sell Meghalaya's picturesque landscape through Bangkok.

This information was given by Counsellor, Department of Export Promotion, Thai Ministry of Commerce, Tharadol Thongruang, to UNI here today. Mr Thongruang is here leading a Thai trade delegation of 19 exporters to take part in the 8th International Shillong Trade Fair (ISTF) here.

This is for the first time that Thailand, under the banner of Department of the Export Promotion, Royal Thai Government, participated in this global fair which started yesterday.

''We are keen to sell Meghalaya or North East to the international circuit through Bangkok,'' Mr Thongruang said.

Selling India's North East tourism via Bangkok has potential as Thailand attracts 12 million tourists a year who can be re-routed to the NE via Bangkok,'' the Thai official said, adding ''a tourist always wants to discover provided the government knows how to promote it.'' As a beginning to start the tourism promotion, the Thai official said a 15-member team, including travel writers, will visit all the tourist destinations in NE in the beginning of next month.

''We will tie-up with the tour-operators of the region to give an international exposure to the tourism industry of NE,'' Mr Thongruang said.

Meanwhile, Meghalaya's Tourism Minister Charles Pyngrope, who is yet to have a one-on-one interaction with the Thai official, said the government would welcome the Royal Thai government's move.

UNI